http://www.bundesregierung.de/frameset/index.jsp
Germany is a federal republic, the capital of which
is Berlin. It is composed of 16 länder; Frankfurt is located in the Hesse
region. The president, who has a representative role, is currently Horst Köhler
(since 2004) of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The chancellor is Angela
Merkel, who in 2005 became the first woman chancellor of Germany and the youngest
person to occupy the position since the end of the Second World War. The goverment
exercises executive power, while federal legislative power is vested in both
the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Bundestag (the legislative
branch of the political system) and the Bundesrat (made up of representatives
from the 16 länder). The mayor of Frankfurt is Petra Roth, also of the
CDU.
Religion
There are about 34% Protestants, 33% Roman Catholics and Jewish, Muslims (especially
Turkish) and a minority of other non-Christians. Churches can set a tax based
on the salary of their congregation. When you register at the Frankfurt town
hall, it is very important to notify the authorities of whether you belong to
a church or not. If you fail to do so, a tax will be automatically deducted
from your salary.